Airplane engine test cell and lighting therefor



`.lam.25,19 19. 1 D H, TUCK 2,460,045

AIRPLANE ENGINE `TEST CELL AND LIGHTING THEREFOR Filed Feb. l, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY `lan. 25, 1949. D. H. TUcK v 2,460,045

AIRPLANE ENGINE TEsT CELL AND LIGHTING THEEEEOE Filed Febi'l, 1944 5 sheets-sheet 2 TMZ- ATTORNEY Jan. 25, 1949. D. H. TucK AIRPLANE ENGINE TEST CELL AND LIGHTING THEREFOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. l, 1944 lNvEN-r'oR DA v (s H. TUC/r ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 25, A1949 UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE AIRPLANE ENGINE 'rEsr'oELLAND LIGHTING THEREFOR Davis H. Tuck, Redding Ridge., Conn., vassigner to Holophane Company, Inc.,A New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware n Application February 1, 1944, Serial No. l520,626

4 Claims. 11

vThe present invention relates. to airplane en.- gine test .cells and lighting therefor. The testing of .airplane engines, airplane engine propellers, 'fuels .and lubricants for air-plane engines is carried out in test cells. Such cells must be large enough to receive .the engine and propeller, or .dynamometen and handle the air impelled by the propeller or blown .in for c001- ng, and they must be .extremely strong and rigid to withstand thervibration-set `up during tests and aord protection. The engine zis controlled from an `observation station youtside `the cell proper,- and in order to observe operations of the engine and accessories (exceptthose' requiring darkness.) it is necessaryv to have available and to maintain throughout the test a relatively high level of illumination preferably in controlled directions. These .test -cells are usually monolithic concrete structures with heavy thick Walls.y The lighting equipment is recessed into the -concrete sov as to be llush with the wall surface.

It has been found that inbuilt lighting equipment `of the ordinary type (metal box andlamp and lens cover) isunsatisfactory for .the purpose, particularly. in test cells` vv-here thel larger engines are operated. Such .an engine vibrates a test cell and everything connected with .it to such an. extent .as to break .lamp filaments and lamp mountings in .the .ordinari/'type of equipment so that it cannot be depended upon` As. the lighting equipment is inaccessible when the .engine is runn'ing,.no repairs or replacements .may 'be made without stopping the run. v

The' present invention contemplates discard.- ingthe usual metal box which supports .the vlamp (and reflector), as well as the 'light transmitting cover and utilizing the concrete itself .as the means for supporting the lamp (and reflector), and means for'supporting the cover whereby independent vibration of either the light source or the cover is reduced to the least possible amount.r

A yfurther object of the present invention is to provide suitable 'cover supporting means and'lamp supporting means and preassemble 'them together with 'destructible concrete -forms (adapted to pro'- vide a recess) whereby the same may be 'located in place in the forms used vfor making the 'concrete structures. After the concrete has set all the forms are removed and-.suitable framed re cesses vare formed leach `having .a lamp .supporting 4bracket supported inthe recess. 1

Other and further objects Awill hereinafter :appear` as the :description proceeds.`

The :accompany-ing drawings show, for pur' poses.; of :illustrating the present invention, any

i embodiment, in whiohthe invention may take Zal form, it being nnderstood'that .the drawings `are illustrative .of the invention rather than limiting A.the same.

` In these drawings.:

Eig-.ure 1 is a perspective view of an airplane engine test cell illustrating the. disposition of lighting equipment: in it;4

Figure lois an endxriew of the same;

Figur-e 2. is an. elevational viewA taken, in the direct-ien of, the .arrow 2 .of Figure 1. showing the reinforcing .member or ring. the franeble box and the .lamp supportingV bracket.. conduit pipes and. ail'v laineall secured to the form.. and before l.. the. concrete is poured.;

the same taken from thev right of Figure 2, the

concrete form being omitted;

Figure 51s a side elevational vievv of the Wooden form or box carried by the .ring of Figures 3 and. ,4:

Figures 6a and Gba-re elevational views of different forms .of ranchory or mounting bracket for the -larnp support; i

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional View through a complete. luminaire;

.Figure :Slis an Ielevational view of the luminaire taken from the right of' Figure 7; and

Figure 9 `is .a sectional view of the structure of Figure, 7 taken y.on thefline S-f8 of Figure '7.

.A reinforced concrete-test cell vfor airplane engines is illustrated an .outline in Figures 1 and la.. It; is :genera-lly .an I -shaped structure with a long horizontal base I0 .and an upwardly extendingV :intake lil. Nea-r the middle of the horizontal port-.ion il) the test cell has a throat portion l2 of :cylindrical .contour. The intake duct- Mand 'exhaust duct; l5 1may lloe made. square and arefhere shown :haring their sides of the ysalme length :as the diameterv of the cylindrical throat. The s'quare portions and cylindrical portliim are ymergedfby .sloping areas .indicated .at I3@ Y 'The :Walls `of the test cell are from three to fou-r -feet sthick .and the diameter of the throat may :be sixteen to twenty .-feet, this 'being suicient yto clear the vpropeller `of the engine. The test :cell is provided With a Win-dow indicated at I6 which `communicates with an observation station andqoperating :room :Il

:Provision is made for the :lighting equipment during the 'building Aof ithje test cell. A suitable arrangement of lighting equipment is illustrated in the drawing, according to which luminaires I8, I8 are placed in the roof of the cell on either side of the throat and other luminaires I9, I9 are placed in the concrete structure at the throat portion.

Reference is now made to Figures 2 to 6, inclusive. The form used for providing the inner surface of the test cell is indicated at 20. A cast iron, ring-like, reinforcing member 2| has a smooth outwardly ilangedfront face 22 and a rearwardly extending flange 23. Atthe corners the flange 23 is made deeper, as indicated at 24, and the inner end of these corner portions is flanged outwardly, as indicated at 25. Eacnof the four sides iof the front face of the ring-like member 2| is provided with recesses 2B from which project forwardly extending bolts 21 supported on pins 28.

A five-sided wooden box is illustrated separatelyin Figure 5. `Thisbox is just the right size so that its side walls 29a will flt inside the rearwardly extending flanges 23 of the ring-like member 2|, and the box is secured to the metal ring by screws indicated at 30. The open end of the box is kept from collapsing by crossed braces 29h and 29o. The back 29d of the Wooden box carries a cast iron or steel bracket or anchor such as the anchor 3| arranged for mounting in theside of the box or the anchor larranged for mounting in the back of the box. The type of anchor used is dependent on the way the concrete is poured. The bracket and wooden box may be fastened together in any suitable manner so that the bracket hasl a definite and fixed location relative to the cast iron ring 2|, yand the box is constructed in parts to facilitate renewal.

The ring 2|, thevbox 29 and anchor 32 are preassembled and shipped to the place of installation. The wooden walls of the box are drilled at suitable places to receive conduit pipes indi-V cated at 33, 33.

When the preassembled stnucture 'including the mounting bracket, the box and the anchor is to be mounted in the forms used for pouring the concrete in building the cell, holes-are drilled through the wooden form according to a templet so ythat the bolts 21 can be passed through the holes in the form and the parts all bolted tol gether, as indicated in Figure 2. Similar provisions will be made for all of the luminaires with which the test cell is to be equipped, and all theseiparts will be inA place before the concrete is poured. When the concrete is poured a monolithic structure will be formed' wherein the cast iron ring' 2|, the anchorage member 30, and the pipes 33 `are all permanently secured in place. After the main forms have been removed it is possible to break out the boards forming the wooden box 29 sothat the recess is formed in the reinforced concrete, this recess being framed by the reinforcing member 2| and carrying the bracket 3| or 32 projecting inwardly and at -the same time the piping is available.

, Referring to Figures 7,8 and 9, the anchor or bracket 3| or 32 is used to support Ia socket supporting strap 35 which is held in rplace by bolts indicated at 36. This strap has `a forwardly extending portion '31 adapted to support a lamp socket 38 and a rearwardly extending portion 39 adapted 4to support a reflector 4|l. Variously dimensioned straps 35` maybe employed with various locations of holes .for mounting purposes so that the position of the light center LC of the incandescent lamp 4| may-be located to have a desired offset. It will thus be'seen that the vibrations which can be communicated to the lamp are minimized. They are much less than would be the case where there was a direct connection to the lamp support as in the case of the common metal box.

The bolts 21 are employed to clamp a-plate 42 against theflangeZZ, a gasket 43 being employed to insure a tight joint. The plate 42 is provided with a rectangular opening 44, and across this opening is atempered glass plate 45 and a prismatic glass plate 46. These plates are clamped in place by clamps indicated at 4l. These plates are preferably set in an elastic cement 48 which does not harden.

The lens 4B is one designed to operate with the lamp and reflector and give a predetermined distribution of light which can be varied by varying the offsetting of the lamp as indicated by dot-and-dash lines in Figures 7 and 9. The offsetting for the luminaires is dependent upon the position in the set up and where the light is to bek directed. The luminaires in the throat portion are generally arranged to direct the light leftwardly, as indicated in the drawings, so as to illuminate the propeller end of the engine, while the luminaires in the roof of the intake and Vexhaust ducts arev similarly arranged to concentrate the light output on to the engine. The lighting equipment on the side of the throat opposite the observation window will generally be employed only during setting up operations and will be turned out when the engine is running, in order that al1 the light will come from the same side of the engine as the observation station.` The lighting equipment is flush with the surface of the concrete and-*presents mini- .mum obstructions to the flow of air. smooth f surfaces on which there is the least tendency for the accumulation of oil, and the oil is kept off the lens so that there is a minimum interference with light control.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions Within the scope of the c1aims,`I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is: n

1. A test cell for airplane engines comprisingA a monolithic concretel structure with horizontally extending inlet and exhaust ducts and an intermediate throat portion of circular cross section, the top of the inlet and outlet ducts and the periphery of the throat portion having inwardly opening recesses each provided with a reinforcing ring-likeL frame partly embedded in the concrete to be flush with the surface thereof, a at cover frame carrying a light transmitting `plate clampedvagainst the reinforcing frame t0 form a closure for the recess, a bracket member ring-like memberand accessible in the recessy a light source and reflector secured to the bracket, anexposed apertured frame secured to the ring- It has' like member, and a, light transmitting plate secured to the frame,

3. In combination, a monolithic concrete structure having a recess, a bracket having an anchorage portion cast into the Wall and a mounting portion extending into the recess, a ring-like frame independent of the bracket and having anchorage portions cast into the wall and exposed portions forming the framing of the mouth of the recess, a light source, means for securing the light source to the mounting portion of the bracket and disposed in the recess, a second frame carried by the rst frame, and a light transmitter carried by the second frame, the transmitter and second frame closing off the recess.

4. A system of lighting for a horizontally extending, airplane engine test cell having a cylindrical throat portion adapted to receive the propeller, an intake duct to supply air, and an exhaust duct adapted to receive the engine, said cell being a monolithic concrete structure, comprising luminaires disposed along the throat portion 'and adjacent portions of the ducts, each luminaire including a mounting plate cast into the concrete structure about the periphery of an inwardly opening recess to form a framed opening about the recess and substantially flush with the inner surface of the concrete structure, a light-concentrating lens plate carried by the mounting plate and normally xed in position to be flush with the mounting plate, a mounting bracket independent of the mounting plate and cast into the concrete structure at the inner end of the recess so that the concrete forms the sole interconnection between the mounting plate and the bracket, and a lamp and reector adjustably mounted on the bracket whereby the direction of the beam emitted from the lens plate may be projected in selected directions and the-directions of all the beams may be Varied to alord different illumination patterns, without varying the nor- 5 mal positions of the lens plates.

DAVIS I-I. TUCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 si@ of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 681,416 Goehst Sept. 3, 1901 l5 1,365,718 Ogden Jan. 18, 1921 1,746,992 Cummings Feb. 11, 1930 1,866,435 Werner May 19, 1931 1,856,599 Pfeier May 3, 1932 1,857,350 Brock May 10, 1932 1,888,733 McCabe Nov. 22, 1932 1,904,643 I-Iuse Apr. 18, 1933 1,936,549 Crossley Nov. 21, 1933 2,051,019 Arutunoff Aug. 18, 1936 2,100,404 Mason et al Nov. 30, 1937 2,110,628 Leiser Mar, 8, 1938 2,142,395 Herron June 3, 1939 2,167,176 Grassberger July 25, 1939 2,178,097 Davison et al. Oct. 31, 1939 2,254,668 Tomek Sept. 2, 1941 2,297,046 Bourne Sept. 29, 1942 2,297,269 Wendt et al Sept. 29, 1942 2,344,206 Forni Mar. 14, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date I 638,092 Germany Nov. 9, 1936 778,600 France 1934 

